Properly Alive
by Mystic25
Summary: When you're best friends with someone, you notice things. For Andre, it was Tori's new boyfriend. Tandre, Bade, Cabbie.
1. Chapter 1

"Properly Alive"

Mystic25

Summary: When you're best friends with someone, you notice things. For Andre, it was Tori's new boyfriend. Tandre, Bade, Cabbie.

Rating: T for situations and language.

* * *

**xxxxXxxx**

"_Don't be so smart dear daughter, that you don't use your head."_

~"David Logan"

The Road to Memphis

**xxxxXxxxx**

* * *

"Alright," Sikowitz climbed up on the stage of his classroom barefooted and faced his students. He noticed how the small group that seemed to remain 16 and 17 for a _long_ time were the only ones paying attention to him. Which was about how it went every day. "Happy Friday Eve to everyone!" He spread his arms out wide and grinned.

His entire acting class groaned at his use of the expression _'Friday Eve' _ instead of _Thursday. _

But Sikowitz went on anyway. He was one of those teachers with the eccentric personalities that didn't care if he was over enthusiastic about something: "Now, I know you're all excited about your weekend plans-"

"For those of us who have them," Jade West threw out. She was wearing all black, like every day. Long sleeved mesh top, two tiered skirt black leggings, combat boots, She was slumped casually in her chair, legs crossed on the empty chair in front of her, flipping through her text messages on her Pear Phone.

"I'm going to spend the weekend with my Mamaw, wine tasting in Napa Valley," Robbie Schapiro said with a smile on his face, not noticing how people gave him looks for an activity that was supposed to be for older couples in their forties.

"_Wine tasting?"_ Jade repeated the word like she'd swallowed a whole chunk of meat. She gave Robbie a look equal to her vocal disbelief. "Dude, that's like something old couples in their forties do when their bored after Matlock."

Beside Jade, her boyfriend Beck Oliver looked up from his own phone at Jade's slam on Robbie. Robbie was staring at Jade with a bit of an open mouthed guppy look. "Okay, that wasn't cool-"

"It's _Robbie_," Jade threw back, turning to Beck. "He knows that he's a nerd."

Robbie squeaked in indignation. Next to him, his newly recent girlfriend Cat Valentine, dressed in a flowly dress of all pale pink and with silver heals, leaned over and petted his thick hair. "It's alright, nerds are smart and win stuff on the internet." she fluttered her eyelashes and smiled at him with her big eyes.

"She does have a point," Andre Harris said from his seat behind Robbie. He leaned forward slapped Robbie on the shoulder and gave him a light laugh. Robbie didn't look comforted, so Andre cleared his throat and sat back in his chair.

Sikowitz cleared his throat too, loudly."If you all are done-," he swept his fingers in a circle "I was kind of in the middle of a monologue-"

"I'm sorry-"

"Sorry-"

"Sorry, go ahead-"

"Shutting up-"

"We'll listen until three o'clock-"

Cat, Andre, Robbie, Beck, and Jade's words melted into each other.

"As I was saying," Sikowitz went on

"Hey-" Jade cut the teacher off.

"Or not," Sikowitz said crossing his arms with a sigh.

Jade turned around in her seat to face Andre "Where's Tori? She finally decided to be bad and ditch?" Jade had the kind of infectious personality that didn't care if she ratted a friend out about skipping class.

"She's rehearsing her duet for the Spring Sing Off with David Beacher," Andre answered.

"Ooh! Isn't he that guy with the pretty blonde hair?" Cat piped up, playing with her own hair which was a dark red velvet cake red.

"Yeah, the baseball player" Jade answered back. "I hear Vega's dating him."

"She is," Andre told her. "They're in the same Jazz Vocal Class together."

"Good for Tori!" Cat said.

"Hey," Jade turn completely around in her chair so that she was sitting backwards in it, facing Andre. "Their singing one of your songs aren't they?"

"Yeah I just finished it last week." Andre answered with an inflection in his voice that didn't sound too happy about that fact.

Jade raised her eyebrows at him. "Wow, you don't sound too happy about that," As usual she was up to the challenge of saying what everyone else was thinking.

Beck sat up in his chair and looked at her. "Babe-"

"What?" Jade looked right back. "He doesn't." She turned back to Andre. "Tori sings duets with you on like _everything _dude. Now she's singing a song that _you_ wrote without you. This has _got_ to burn-"

Jade looked over to Beck, who still had a look of indignation on his face.

"Is there something on my face?" She snapped.

Beck just held up his hands and sighed.

"I knew I should've taken that Mexican Restyling Federation up on their offer last summer." Sikowitz threw out amidst the madness.

"It's not that," Andre said in defense to Jade's remark. "I just don't like David."

"Why?" Cat asked. "He seems nice."

Robbie looked at her in indignation. "You think he's_ cute_ don't you?"

"Yeah, cute means nice." Cat admitted, not like she wanted to break up with Robbie, but more like she was just stating a fact. "Like secret means whisper things."

Beck turned to Andre. "How come you don't like David? He seems like an okay guy."

"I don't know man," Andre admitted. "He seems _too_ okay. He's always trying to impress Tori with how cool and chill he is. Like the other day, there must've been about _fifteen_ notes from him taped to her locker, and they were all-" here Andre lowered his voice an octave to imitate David: '_Yo babyz, you're so fly and super. You and me equals 4 ever-'_ you know forever with the number 4-"

"Ooh! I love the number four! It's like a baby number!" Cat said with a giggle. It wasn't that she was air headed. It was just that she had the kind of positive personality that refused to see the bad things about any situation.

Andre didn't know what to say to Cat's remark.

"Wait?" Beck stated "He _really_ used the number 4 instead of writing _f-o-r?"_

"Yep," Andre responded. "And he spelled ever '_Eva.'"_

"Oh wow," Beck said. "He sounds-"

"_Awesome!"_ Robbie said with over excitement. He looked around at the other two boys with an '_uh huh'_ expression.

"I was gonna say he sounds like doosh," Beck responded.

"Oh, "Robbie said. "That's what I meant. Sometimes I get confused with my words."

"_If sometimes means always,"_ Rex, Robbie's puppet sidekick chimed in.

Robbie looked at Rex offensively. Everyone else didn't say anything. After nearly three years of having Robbie Schapiro carry on whole conversations and antics with a ventriloquist dummy he got for a present from his Mamaw when he was 5; they were used to it. They were even dressed the same today, pale blue button down short sleeved shirt and black slacks, with black oxfords.

"And Tori likes this kind of thing?" Beck asked Andre in a bit of confusion. Tori did tend to fall hard for guys when she first met them. But he always considered her smarter than girls that fell for one liner guys.

"Mmmhmm," Andre said. "Dude, she eats it up every time. She's all- he brought his hands up to his chest like a little girl would do and raised his voice into a high falsetto to imitate Tori's: '_Oh Andre. David is so _amazing _and _gifted!"

"Hey guys!" the door to Silkowitz's classroom burst open when Tori Vega walked through it. She tried to balance her big brown purse with her jacket slung over it on one arm, a cup of coffee in her other hand, and close the door with her brown suede boot all simultaneously. "I'm so sorry I'm late. My rehearsal with David ran over-" Tori juggled all her stuff and fell into the empty seat by Andre that everyone just normally tended to vacate for her. She rolled down the left sleeve of her white lace pullover that had gotten tugged up in her frantic entry.

"That's okay Tori," Sikowitz told her. He now sat on the floor of the stage in his classroom sipping from a furry coconut with a white straw stuck in it and had a newspaper opened on his knee. "I gave up trying to teach this class after Jade's first snarky comment. Now I'm looking to supplement my income with the horse races."

"Speaking of horses," Jade turned around in her chair again, and rested a hand on the back of it with turquoise ring on her middle finger. She gave Tori her infamous unsettling, trouble making smile. "We were all just talking about your new thoroughbred baseball singing boyfriend."

Tori gave Jade a look and waved a finger at her. "He is _not_ a thoroughbred, okay? He's _amazing_ and gifted!"

"That's exactly what Andre was telling us before you came in," Jade said, looking over at him. "Weren't you Andre?"

Andre cut Jade a look. She cut him one right back and added a finger wave.

Tori wasn't a stupid girl, but she was oblivious to this silent exchange. She turned to Andre with a smile on her face. "Aww thanks. It means _so_ much to me that you guys all like David," while she talked she had taken Andre's arm and was rubbing the skin on his wrist just under his gray and black sleeved baseball shirt with her thumb.

Andre laughed dryly "You know I'm on board with ya Tori," he tried to make his smile genuine to cover up for his lame laugh.

"_Yes!"_

Tori and the others jumped at the sudden noise. They turned to the sound of Sikowitz clutching the paper to his chest and hugging it. He caught sight of all the eyes of his students on him. Especially the 'main ones' who did all the talking. "Blondie has a 40:1 racing odd, maybe I can finally earn enough to build my mother her own room and get her out of mine!"

Everyone gave him odd looks, but he just chewed his pencil happily, oblivious to it.

**xxxxXxxxxx**

Tori wrestled with shoving her _'Advanced Kabuki Play Theatre'_ into her already overcrowded locker. The book knocked over her magnetic locker mirror on the door, and a sports bottle filled with an orange energy drink and dropped them both to the floor.

Tori growled under her breath. "C'mon!" She bent down and picked up the book and the mirror. "Get in you stupid-!" She tried to bang the items into her locker sideways. She managed to slap the mirror back on the locker door, and get the book haphazardly into the locker on top of a teetering pile of other text books.

She was so absorbed in her task at cursing the contents of her locker that she didn't notice Andre come up to her until he bent down and handed her the sports bottle. "You need to clean out your locker more."

"Ugh I know," Tori took the bottle from him and shoved it the locker and slammed the door before anything could fall on her. "I've just been crazy busy with all these classes. And there's the song that David and I have been working on-"

"Yeah about that," Andre said, trying not to cringe at the mention of '_David'_ He fingered the lid of his water bottle. "How's it working out? I mean with the lyrics? You still feeling them?"

"Oh my god, yes," Tori's response was almost instantaneous. "Your arrangement is so _amazing_! I can never write something that good."

"Don't sell yourself short Vega," Andre said. "You're pretty amazing with the vocals."

Tori rewarded him with a smile showing all her teeth. "Yeah I am, aren't I?"

Andre rewarded _her_ with a laugh. His laugh got Tori smiling more.

This lasted for about another minute, then Andre's laugh melted off his face when he spotted a tall dark blonde guy in a black Henley and jeans as he snuck up behind Tori and placed his hands over her eyes.

"Hey beautiful," the guy said.

Tori smiled and turned around staring up at him. "Hey you!" she reached up and hugged him then he pulled her into a kiss.

Through all of this Andre was quiet. But he had the same annoyed look he would if he were waiting for someone to stop texting in their front seat of their car and blocking him in his parking space.

Finally David separated himself from Tori. He then seemed to finally notice Andre standing there. "Oh hey Andrew."

"It's Andre," Andre said trying to bite away the annoyance in his voice.

"Oh sorry man," David said, like it was nothing big.

Which it wasn't to Andre, _the first time,_ not the _30th. _

He took in Andre's baseball shirt. It didn't have a logo for the school, but he pointed at it anyway. "Hey, you on the team?"

"No," Andre answered him. "I'm more of a football and song writing guy. Plus this was just the only clean shirt I had left that my grandma didn't cut up checking for hidden microphones from the CIA."

"Oh- _Okay_," David said, like Andre's remark had made him find something lacking in Andre himself. "Hey, do you mind if I steal Tori? It's our one week anniversary, and I got a mack date all lined up."

Tori squealed a girly giggle. The kind she did when she was excited. "He's taking me to Mrs. Lee's new restaurant 'Oppan Galbi Style.'

"Wait-" Andre was confused. It gave him something else to think about besides the fact that David seriously just used the phrase _mack date_ "Galbi is a _Korean_ dish. I thought Mrs. Lee was Chinese?"

"Hey it's not like it matters," David said. "As long as I'm with my baby Tori," he wrapped an arm around Tori's waist.

"Aww," Tori cooed, "That's so _sweet_, she rested her head on his shoulder. She pulled away after a minute and turned back to Andre. "Oh I almost forgot. You're coming over tonight to help me finish the revision to the song right?"

"Yeah, " Andre agreed, glad to be talking about something that didn't have to do with David. "You still want me to be there at 7:30?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Tori said with the casual easiness she always reserved her for and Andre's conversations. "We should be done with dinner by then, right babe?" She looked up to David in inquiry.

"I guess so," David said. He was still smiling, but there was a kind of _tick_ in his voice.

"I'll leave the key under the mat, " Tori told Andre. "Just let yourself in if we're not back by then. Oh and _avoid_ Trina at all costs tonight. She's trying this new salt and vinegar full body cleanse, and you do _not_ wanna be around when she's trying to unclog her pipes-"

"Baby girl, come on," David cut in." We don't want to miss our reservations." He started to walk away and yanked on Tori's arm to pull her with him.

"Oh okay," Tori said, getting her feet to walk under her in sync with David's fast rhythm. She turned back to turn to Andre. "see you then!"

"Yeah bye Andrew," David said without bothering to turn around, pulling Tori a little harder, but still with an arm around her waist. And he must've said something Tori liked, because she laughed and dropped her head on his shoulder again.

Andre waved back, nearly breaking the water bottle in his hand.

Beck came up behind him, hands in the pockets of his jeans, sleeves on his blue and yellow plaid button up rolled up to his elbows. "_Baby girl?_" He raised his eyebrows at the remark he had overheard David say about Tori. "And did he also call you _Andrew?"_

"Yeah," This time the lid popped off Andre's bottle from his squeezing and water poured down his hand like an erupted geyser.

"Dude, you seriously need to talk to Tori about this guy, " Beck told him. "Because if you don't, _I will._ He's all wrong for her."

"Hey some people would say the same about you and Jade," Andre reminded.

"I can handle Jade's crazy insanity because I know who she is underneath," Beck said. "What does Tori know about this guy? They've been going out for a _week._"

"Yeah, I know," Andre said, the words kept coming out to his friend now that he had someone to vent too who agreed with him. "He does seem faker then Cat's pretty red hair."

"So tell her that," Beck insisted. "Tonight, when you guys meet up to work on your song."

"I don't know man," Andre disagreed. "Tori can be a little defensive when it comes to the guys she dates."

"Dude you're her friend. You kind of have an obligation to tell her these things. I mean what if he hurts her like that Ryder guy and you didn't do anything? You gonna be able to live with that?"

Andre sighed. "You're right. I'll tell her tonight at her house."

"Actually you could tell her in about an hour when you go pick up the take out order."

Andre looked at him in confusion "What take out order?"

"The one you're picking up for me and Jade," Beck said as he pulled his backpack around to the front of his chest and unzipped a side pocket and took out his wallet. "She wants to watch _The Scissoring II-Fiskar_ Fury and eat some fried Wontons." He pulled out a twenty dollar bill and replaced his wallet back inside the bag.

"And how come you can't pick it up yourself?" Andre asked.

"Because Jade _also_ wants me to pick up the movie from the Orangebox, and the nearest one's at the Walton Mart across town from Oppan Galbi Style. I'm supposed to do all this and meet her at my trailer in an hour."

"How come you didn't tell her that you can't do all that at once?" Andre dared ask.

"I did," Beck informed. "Then she told me if I really loved her I'd better figure it out," Beck insisted.

Andre shot him a raised eyebrow look. "That's a complicated woman."

"Tell me about it," Beck said slapping the money in Andre's hand.

* * *

**xxxXxxx**

"Ahh! Andre Harris! Welcome!" Mrs. Lee came over to him from behind the counter in a _Hanbok_, a traditional Korean dress, with long fan sleeves and a poufy flowing skirt that tied in front with a large bow. Her Hanbok was forest green on top with a bright red skirt. Her hair was pulled into an extremely tight bun held up with two black lacquered chopsticks. It looked like she had given herself a homemade facial tightening.

"Hey Mrs. Lee," Andre said. He looked around the restaurant. It was filled with knee high cherry wood tables with cushions that sat on Tantami mats. For customers who didn't want to sit on the floor, there were also several tables with black lacqured chairs around them. Waitresses in dresses like Mrs. Lee's walked amongst the guests bringing hot cooked _Galbi,_ beef ribs marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger, on wooden skewers. Along one wall was a full service bar also made of cherry wood with ornate carvings of trees on its front façade. All of its black stools were filled with people laughing and joking, multi colored drinks in tall glasses in their hands. In the center of the room was a raised stage with a karaoke machine and professional mixing board set up.

"Your new place is great," Andre said, giving everything an impressed gaze.

"Oh thank you, you make me blush!" Mrs. Lee said waving him off. "It's just something I threw together, last minute."

"I see you got a Karaoke stage in here just like at Nozu," Andre remarked.

"Oh yes," Mrs. Lee boasted. "I like to stay true to my ancestry."

Andre turned to look at the woman, having to look down since she was a good two inches shorter than him. "But this is a _Korean_ restaurant."

"Yes that's right." Mrs. Lee said with a wide, satisfied grin.

"But I thought Karaoke was _Japanese?"_

"What's your point?" Mrs. Lee asked in a defensive voice. She was giving him a dirty look like he'd insulted the patronage of her family. "You got problem with Korea?"

Andre held up his hands as if in surrender. "No ma'am. No problem. I love Korea." he said." China and Japan too." he added as an afterthought.

Mrs. Lee scowl faded back into a smile. She reached up and patted Andre on the cheek. "You're a good boy Andre Harris. I glad for that. Cause otherwise I'd have to hang you by your thumbs over a viper pit."

Andre swallowed. He could never tell if this woman was kidding. She always had a manic gleam in her eye whenever she talked, and he wouldn't put it past her to have an actually pit of vipers somewhere in her restaurant.

"Uh, thank you," Andre said. He cleared his throat. "Listen, I need to pick up a takeout order for my friend-"

"Oh sure!" Mrs. Lee said "Shana take care of you," she pointed into the direction of a pretty girl with dark brown hair braided intricately down her back in a pink Hanbok. "_Shana!"_ Mrs. Lee's shrill voice made Shana jump and spill change she was about to hand to the man in front of her down his shirt. "You take care of my _special _ friend Andre Harris, right?"

"Y-yes, Mrs. Lee," Shana said doing a little clumsy bow that she had just learned last week. Because that's as long as she had been working here. The man clutched his shirt full of money and left.

Mrs. Lee smiled at Shana in her creepy '_I will kill you in your sleep with an ice pick to your brain if you screw up'_ way and left Andre, screaming in a stream of Korean and Chinese too a poor bus boy who started running the minute he saw her coming in his direction.

Andre stepped cautiously away from all the shouting to separate himself away from crazy Mrs. Lee and over to Shana at the counter.

Shana gave a cautious finger wave at Andre, like they had both been victims of a psychopath. "Hey." she backed up her wave with a smile.

"Hey," Andre returned. "I'm here to pick up an order for Beck Oliver, should be some fried wantons for his crazy girlfriend."

Shana laughed. "I think I can handle that. Just don't tell Mrs. Lee if I screw it up. She keeps threatening to make me dig a pit out back and fill it with vipers, and I can't tell if she's serious."

"Yeah I know the feeling," Andre agreed.

Shana pointed at him "You go to Hollywood Arts don't you?"

"Yeah," Andre agreed, he leant up on the counter. She was a pretty girl. Dark roan colored hair, brown eyes, full lips. "You go?"

"No," Shana told him, pulling out the handwritten take out order from a box and turning to the plastic wrapped boxes of food behind her. She started cross checking the ticket with the bags. "I go to the math magnet school at the east end of town. My friend goes to HA. I'm not musically gifted." She placed his bag of food on the counter in front of him.

"You're probably just too full of trinomial equations and stuff." Andre joked, it was corny. But it made Shana smile. And she had a nice smile.

"I've never heard that line before," she said taking the money and ringing up his order.

" I guess I'm an original," Andre said.

"Hey!"

Andre heard Tori's voice and heels before he saw her. He turned and saw her approach him from one of the little tables people sat on the floor by and ate their Korean food.

"What's up?" Tori said when she reached him. "Is everything okay?"

Andre took a moment to let it sink it that Tori was a _really_ good friend to immediately ask how he was before wondering why he was there.

"Tori hey!" Andre said, taking his change back from Shana. "Yeah, it's cool. I'm just picking up an order for Beck and Jade."

"Let me guess," Tori said. "Beck called you for backup because Jade sent him to do a _million _ things in an hour and threatened him with death and dismemberment if he failed."

"Basically," Andre said with a bit of a smile. It was just like every other conversation they had, where they didn't even have to try because they knew each other that well. He wished that it would just remain like this, instead of what Beck gave him 20 dollars and an second hand order from Jade to say.

"So how's it going with David?" Andre said, not knowing how the hell to start a conversation like this. Really there _was_ no way to start a conversation like this.

Tori's eyes lit up at David's name. "It's great. He's _so_ sweet."

Andre resisted trying to punch something at her look. "Good, that's good." He swallowed to stall. "Hey Tor-?"

"We're still on for 7:30 right?"

"What?" Andre said, he'd been running a monologue in his head about what to say to her, so he hadn't been paying attention. He couldn't decide between: _Hey Tori, David seems a little wrong for you, or Hey Tori, you're boyfriend a tool, just saying.'_ He realized he still hadn't answered her question. "Oh 7:30? Yeah we're still on."

Tori looked at him in concern : "You sure you're okay? You seem _really _distracted."

"Yeah, I'm good," Andre said. He had run out of stalling. Time to tell her before he wound up spending the night with Mrs. Lee's viper pit. "Listen Tori, I need to tell you-"

"Hey babe."

Tori turned to David who had come up behind her.

"Oh hey." Tori said with a smile.

"I came back from the bathroom and I didn't see you, I was worried." David said. The words were supposed to be concerned. But there was also a demand in them.

"I'm fine, I just came to get more soy sauce." Tori reassured him with a smile and held up the little bottle of black sodium liquid.

"I just worry about you baby," David said wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head.

After he pulled away he looked at Andre, just like at school, like he had just noticed him. "Hey Aaron-"this time he didn't hide the hostility in his gaze: "You following us?"

Andre tried to back off his own glare."No man it's not like that- I just came to get an order for a friend."

"Oh good," David gave a laugh that didn't even pretend to not be fake. His grip on Tori tightened a little more. "Because for a minute, it seemed like you wanted to take a run at my girl. But that's stupid, because you guys are just _friends_." He said friends like he would say if Andre were her mechanic, or dog walker, like he didn't mean anything.

"Yeah, " Andre said back, looking right at David. "We're friends."

"Good," David said fake smile firmly in place. "Because Tori knows that _I'm_ the only guy for her." He laughed again.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Andre said.

"Hey _dude, _chillax," David said arms out like he was stretching lazily. "Tori's my baby, and I don't think she wants to share me with anyone else."

"I think Tori can talk for herself _dude_," Andre came back.

The hostility between the two 17-year-old boys was electric hot. They both glowered at each other, waiting for the trigger that would set them off.

"_Okay_," Tori finally broke in. She grabbed Andre's arm, and leaned into him. "Can I talk to you for a second?" She pushed him towards the restrooms next to a group of girls waiting to use the ladies one.

"What is up with you?" Tori asked. "Why are you acting all wonky?"

"I'm sorry-" Andre started to apologize, but then, his anger towards David steered his words. "I just don't think David's right for you."

Tori gave him an look like she had misheard him. "_Right_ for me? What's that supposed to mean?" Her voice got shrill when she was angry. " Is this because I'm singing the song you and I wrote with David instead of you?"

"It's not about the song Tori," Andre insisted. "I can't believe you don't see how David treats you!"

"He treats me like a _gentleman," _ Tori retorted in disbelief. "He always has!"

"Is that why he pulls you around like you're some dog on a leash, and why he doesn't let you talk for yourself?"

"I talk for myself just _fine!_" Tori's voice held nothing but disgust. She stepped back and glared at him. "You know I can't _believe _you! You said you _liked_ David!"

They were speaking in hushed tones, and the Karaoke stage was in full swing, but a few of the girls exiting the bathroom turned to stare at them because of their agitated body language.

"I said that because I didn't want to make you feel bad!" Andre said in defense.

"Oh _real_ good job!" Tori shouted.

More people turned to stare because they weren't trying to be quiet anymore.

"You know what," Andre waved her off with both hands. "Forget it. I came here to tell you that David was bad news. He treats you like crap Tor. But you wanna sit here and defend him, then I'm out!" He pushed by her and stormed off.

Tori watched him leave, she stomped forward a few steps. "_Fine! _Go! I can write my own songs!" She walked back to where David was standing by their table watching her and Andre. He immediately put his arm around her, and pulled her to their table.

From the counter Shana watched Andre stomp over to the bar. "Is she a friend of yours?" She eyed Tori and David who had reclaimed their seats on the cushions that surrounded the low lacquered table.

"Can I just have my take out order please?" Andre said.

Shana handed him the plastic bag containing two Styrofoam boxes of wontons.

"Thanks," Andre said, taking the bag from her.

"I know it's none of my business or anything," Shana said. "But that guy you're friend's with, he seems like kind of a jerk. I wouldn't feel comfortable if one of my friends out with someone like that either."

Andre didn't reply, just left the restaurant with the food, the sounds of Ron Pope's '_Fireflies' _being sung badly by a kid on the Karaoke stage.

**xxxxXxxxxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**xxxxXxxxxx**

"_A true friend never gets in your way, unless you happen to be going down."_

~Arnold H. Glasgow

**xxxxxXxxxxx**

* * *

"_Wait you did _what_?"_

"I don't know man," Andre said to Beck in his Pear Phone as he steered his black Camaro with his free hand. "I just lost it."

"_The plan was to convince Tori that this guy was a jerk, not piss her off."_

"Yeah, well I guess I failed that plan," Andre said changing lanes to get off on the next exit that came up on the freeway. "You should've heard the way he was talking to her. Like she was just something he bought all pretty at the store."

"_Wait- hold on a second-,"_ Beck said. There was sound that sounded like a chain saw, then Beck saying: _"Jade, what are you doing to my dresser?!"_

"_What? You said you wanted two dressers,"_ came Jade's reply in the background.

"_I meant I could buy them!"_ Beck shouted. "_ I didn't mean you should bring a chain saw!"_

"_This is faster!" _ Jade shouted. There was the sound of a chain saw motor revving.

Andre pulled the phone back from his ear and looked at it like it had grown two heads.

"_Andre, dude you still there?"_ Beck shouted over all the sounds of the chainsaw.

Andre carefully placed the phone back to his ear. "Yeah."

"_Look man, you've got to work things out with Tori. She has to see how bad this guy is for her." _

"After what I said I doubt she wants to talk to me tonight."

"_Then convince her," _ Beck insisted. "_I just don't want her to get hurt."_

Andre sighed. He _was_ still concerned about Tori, but she had a mean temper. And he didn't want to get into another shouting match. But his concern finally won out in the end. "Let me just drop this food off at your place then I'll swing by Tori's-"

"_Don't worry about the food,"_ Beck said. _"Just head over there, stand on her porch until she lets you in. I'll swing by Tori's and pick it up later. Maybe some ear plugs and new clothes from the mall while I'm out."_

Andre managed a chuckle. "Aiight see you in a few."

"_Yeah- babe- BABE!"_ Beck shouted above Jade's warrior roar and the chain saw buzz._"I need my underwear in ONE piece!"_

Andre hung up on the call like this.

**xxxxXxxx**

Andre stood outside Tori's front door. He found the key under the mat, but he didn't use it. Instead he raised his hand to knock. But then he pulled it back, not sure if he was ready to do this. Which felt completely weird because he normally never had a problem with walking into Tori's house before.

He raised his hand to try knocking again what a muttered '_This is stupid.'_ at his cowardice.

Before his fist made contact with the door it opened.

"Oh, hey Andre," Tori's mom, Holly Vega stood there with her dark denim coat on her shoulder, looking like she was ready to go out.

"Hey Mrs. Vega," Andre greeted her. "Is Tori home from her date yet?" he tried not to choke on the word '_date'_

"Yeah, she's upstairs," Mrs. Vega moved aside to let Andre into the house. She turned and called up to the stairway that reached the second level of her house to her daughter. "Tori, Andre's here to see you!"

There were several seconds of silence.

"Tell him to go home!" Tori's voice finally called down the stairs.

Mrs. Vega raised her eyebrows at her daughter's demand. Andre was one of Tori's best friends. She normally didn't order him out of the house. She turned to Andre and held up a finger. "Excuse me Andre." She walked over the landing of the stairs. "Tori Elizabeth Vega! I am _not_ going to sit here and be rude to your friends for you. Andre came all the way over here to work on your project. Now get down here!"

"Trina fell in the toilet!" Tori shouted back.

"Stop making stuff up Tori and come down!" Mrs. Vega demanded.

"I'm not, she's _really_ stuck!" Tori's declaration was followed by several groans and unpleasant sounds from Trina.

Mrs. Vega raised her eyebrows in disbelief, and muttered something that sounded like: _'Oh for the love of god'_ "Have a seat on the couch Andre, Tori will be right down." She pushed past Andre and headed up the stairs. _"Trina, how did you even get stuck _in_ the toilet?"_

"_I don't know mom,"_ Trina wailed."_ I'm not a scientist!-just pull me out!"_

"_Eww," _ Tori's voice complained._ this is so gross!"_

"_Tori, Andre's waiting – I'll get your sister out of the toilet-"_

"_Mom, come on!"_

"_Hand me that Vaseline and get downstairs _now _young lady!"_

"_Fine!"_

During this entire odd exchange, Andre had taken a seat on the sofa. He leant back and pretended not to be listening . But, it was such an out of place thing, like a car crash, that he couldn't help it.

Someone clunked down the stairs and a minute later Tori's figure emerged at the bottom of the steps. She hadn't changed from the clothes she had worn to school- the only things different were the khaki colored Uggs on her feet and – an odd addition of a pair of dark Jack O esque sunglasses.

Andre stood up when she came into the living room to the sofa. "What's going on up there?" He asked her.

"Trina," Tori answered before she remembered she wasn't going to talk to him.

Andre was satisfied with the answer, because it actually said a lot if someone knew Trina. He took in Tori's appearance. "What's with the glasses?"

"I just put in my allergy drops and I can't be around artificial light for an hour." she retorted and crossed her arms across her chest. "Did you come here just to interrogate me? Because if you did, _there's_ the door."

"Hey now," Andre held up his hands. "Relax"

"_Don't tell me to relax-!" _Tori threw back. She was cut off when Trina's groan and a weird clanking sound clamored down the stairs followed by the sight of Trina herself waddling down the steps to the living room. The toilet seat was clearly visible through the blanket their mom had around her waist.

Tori stared. Andre too.

"Mom!" Trina wailed. "It's _chaffing_ my butt!"

"Yeah, I know," Mrs. Vega said as she struggled to keep up with her oldest daughter while simultaneously trying to keep a sigh of defeat out of her voice. She turned to Andre and Tori. "Tori, if your dad calls, tell him we're going to be in the Emergency Room-"

"Oh my god, my butt is sweating!" Trina yelled.

"For a while," Mrs. Vega finished, the long suffering sigh finally came out of her. She opened the door with one hand, and pushed a waddling Trina through it with the other. She called out: "There's pizza in the fridge!" before shutting the door with her foot.

"Wow, shutting the door with your foot must be a family trait," Andre said, trying to make a joke.

"You need to leave." Tori eyes dug at Andre like ice picks.

"Hold up Tori, okay-"

"No, you _hold up_," Tori retorted, poking him in the chest. "You can't just jack up my date and come here make demands of me!"

"I did it cause I was concerned about you!" Andre shouted back.

Tori rolled her eyes at him. "I already told you, _I'm fine_. David and I are _fine._ So chill!"

"I don't like this guy Tori!" Andre said, not backing down. "He's completely fake! Beck thinks so too!"

Tori's expression became murderous. "Oh, so you and Beck are talking about me behind my _ back_ now?"

"It's not like that!" Andre insisted "We're both concerned about you!"

"Oh my _god!-" _ Tori grabbed at her hair with one hand. "_Dude,_ you need to let. it. _go-"_ Her glasses fell off her head from the movement of her hand. Tori suddenly leaned over and grabbed at her eyes. "Damnit!" She crouched down and started rooting frantically around the ground.

"Hey, you okay?" Andre crouched down beside her. Tori never swore, and the fact that she was doing so now concerned him. "Tor?"

"I'm fine, okay?" she said with her hands still covering her eyes. "I just need to find my glasses." She continued to grope around blindly on the floor. "I'm _really _not supposed to be in the light with this medicine."

"Hey, it's aiight, I got them" Andre said. He reached around Tori's sweeping hands, and scooped up her glasses. "Let me give you a hand," he started to reach for her wrist to pull her hand away so he could put her glasses back on.

"No it's okay!" Tori said and tried to grab at her glasses with her free hand. "I got it!"

"Girl, will you just relax," Andre said, trying again to pull her hand away from her face.

But Tori kept jerking it back. "I said I got it!" she yelled. She kept trying to keep her face covered, but finally her right hand slipped away enough for Andre to pull it away from her face.

Her hair was hanging all frizzy and at a crazy angle in front of her face from her movements, and some of it was stuck to her face.

But neither aspect covered up the large dark purple and blue bruise that ringed her left eye. It blended into a blooming swelling on her cheekbone, with a half inch red gash running it the center of it.

Tori clamored her way to her feet. Andre stared at her in shock for several long seconds. Then he shook himself out of his shock and moved closer to her. "Damn-" He turned her face with his hand and traced it along the bruises.

"It's nothing," Tori said trying to back away from his probing fingers. "I'm fine."

Further probing by Andre's thumb made her hiss.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I fell," Tori said a little too quickly. "Coming into the house." She laughed a laugh that didn't sound like anything but fake. "Ow huh? But I'm okay. Aside from being a poster klutz girl for the Slap."

"How come you said you had allergies then?" Andre asked. There was _defiantly _something off with Tori's story. She did tend to be a little accident prone – the Gorilla Fight Club, that dog dragging her during the National Anthem. But she didn't just fall walking into a room, especially if that room were in her own house.

"Because I didn't want to make a big deal about it," Tori insisted. She took his hand and lowered it off her face. "I mean, it's just a black eye."

"You said you fell coming inside?" Andre asked.

"_Yeah,"_ Tori said "I just told you that," She tucked her hair behind one ear. "Can we _not _talk about it anymore? It's kinda embarrassing."

"There aren't any bruises on your arms are there?" Andre asked, not listening to her about 'not talking about it anymore.'

"No," Tori answered. "Why?" She didn't know where he was going with this.

"It's just that, when you fall forward, you usually try and catch yourself on your hands." Andre told her.

"Thank you CSI LA," Tori said, waving her arms around in an over grandiose way. So what's your point?"

"I want you to tell me the truth." Andre's voice was quiet, but insistent.

"I _told _ you the truth!" Tori insisted harder, recrossing her arms over her chest. "Can't we just get to work on the song?"

"Sure," Andre said. "Right after you tell me the _real_ truth."

"And what would that be oh Wise One?" Tori asked flippantly.

"Did David do that to you?"

There was a moment of heavy silence. Tori stared at Andre in disbelief. "_What? _No-"

Andre looked at her with the same look on his face when he had after the music producer Kojeeze had rejected their song because of a squawking baby. Except this was so much more different than then.

"Tori-"

"_No _ okay!" Tori poked him in the chest again. "David wouldn't- he _doesn't_- he's _not_ that guy-he-he said he didn't mean too okay?"her last word were almost a whisper as she suddenly found fascination in her hands.

The previous silence was nothing compared to this one. Tori raised her eyes up to Andre, waiting to see if he would say anything.

"Andre?"

He didn't say anything. He tilted her head up again. In the new angle of the light, the bruises and swelling stood out stark and ugly.

He continued to not say anything as he released her head and walked quickly towards her front door.

"Where are you going?" Tori called after him.

"I'm going to find David," Andre said, reaching in his jeans pocket for his car keys.

Tori's eyes widened, "Wait, what?! What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna kill him," Andre said in a voice that had the same undercurrent as an approaching thunderstorm.

He was almost to the front door, when Tori's voice reached him again.

"No, you can't!" Tori walked after him and grabbed his arm. "Andre, come on-"

Andre stopped and turned to face her, his face full of anger, but not at her."He _hit _ you Tori! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break his face?"

"Because I asked you not too!"

Andre looked at her, incredulous "Why are you are defending this jerk?"

"I'm not!" Tori she said. "I just-" she grabbed at her hair again, fisting a clump of it to the top of her head. "I don't-"

"You don't what?" Andre said, his voice had lowered.

"I don't know what to do okay!"

Her declaration left her eyes wide and frantic looking. "After you left Opann Galbi Style, David kept asking me about you. If you and I had some sort of _thing._ I kept telling him that we weren't like that. But he kept yelling at me, and then Mrs. Lee came over and kicked us out for being too loud. And when we were in the parking lot. David-" her voice faded out like a turned down speaker. "He turned around and hit me across the face. Then he just _left_ me there in the parking lot. I had to take the bus home. And now I have a black eye and a boyfriend who beats me up, and _no_ song to sing for the Spring Sing Off —" she laughed, but it came out in shattered pieces. "You were right Andre okay?" She released her hair and slapped the hand against her leg. "David's a jerk. You knew it; and now I know it. So go ahead, say I told you so."

Andre took a step closer to her, "Tori-"

She backed up a step. "Oh are you going to tell me what to do again?" Her voice was starting to tear like paper. "Good, Because I want you too," she pointed at him with both pointer fingers." I _need_ you to tell me what to do, because _I don't know-"_ she grabbed her hair again, this time with both hands and so hard that she felt some strands come away in her fingers.

Andre reached up and grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from her head.

Tori raised her eyes up to him, and they were damp with unshed tears. "I don't know what to do." She started shaking.

She fell forward and Andre caught her and pulled her against him. He wrapped his arms around her and she slid hers up his back, digging her nails into the back of his shoulders.

Jagged, visceral crying shook he body like breaking waves against rocks.

The sounds of her crying made Andre feel like someone was repeatedly kicking him in the throat. He tried to say something comforting, even her name, but he found his throat closing up with each try.

The front door opened. "Hey I'm sorry about not knocking but Jade's been screaming at me from the passenger se-" Beck's voice halted and his hand lowered from where he had been pointing at the front door at the sight of Tori.

"What happened?!-" Beck started hurrying towards his two friends. "Tori-hey-"

"No, " Andre said to stop Beck from approaching. "I got this-"

Tori didn't say anything to acknowledge Beck being in her house. She didn't move from where she was clinging to Andre, her sobs chased each other like heavy raindrops.

"What's _going_ on?" Beck demanded. Seeing one of his closest friends crying so hard it sounded like she was on the verge of throwing up and not knowing _why_ was something that he couldn't take.

"I said _I got this,"_ Andre said, in a voice full of more hurt than anger. There was a silent and pain filled _'please'_ to his friend in his words.

Beck nodded silently. He backed away and reached for the door shutting it. The sound of the wood hitting the frame echoed heavily.

"It's okay," Andre said.

"I can't-" Tori's face was pressed into his chest, and her voice vibrated against his skin.

"It's okay baby, I got you-" She was already pressed against him tightly. But Andre drew her closer and rubbed her back, because he didn't know what else to do. "I got you-" his voice broke on the last word, and he swallowed it away, to be strong.

* * *

**xxxxXxxx**

Quick Note:

Yes there is more cursing in this then on the actual show. But the show is rated G, so they can't use real curse words. And I know these guys are only 17, but reality check boys and girls, 17-year-olds curse.


	3. Chapter 3

**xxxxXxxxx**

"_It's just hard to see a friend hurt this much. Especially if you can't do anything except 'be there'."_

~"Charlie"

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

**xxxxxXxxx**

* * *

"Andre-_Andre-_ hey-"

The voice drew Andre awake. Someone was shaking his shoulder. He blinked and turned his head around. Tori's dad stood behind the sofa in a pair of sweat pants and a black LAPD sweatshirt. He had his hand on Andre's shoulder.

There was another sensation on his other side, and he looked down to see Tori lying asleep on his chest, curled under his left arm.

There was an awkward moment for Andre, watching Mr. Vega's expression. Because here he was, sleeping with his daughter on their living room sofa.

"It's almost five in the morning," Daniel Vega said in a low voice to the boy. "You need to go home, get some sleep." His voice wasn't angry, didn't even hint of finding them asleep on the couch. Rather, it expressed the words in the concerned way a dad would when one of kids had stayed up too late to study for a test.

Andre carefully tilted his left arm and stared at his red plastic watch. He hadn't meant to fall asleep.

Mr. Vega had come home from his shift at the police station at 9:00, and after seeing Tori's face, insisted on taking her to the ER to get her checked out, and talk to his partner at the precinct.

It wasn't a pretty scene. Tori didn't want to go out in public and have other people see her. And she didn't want to press charges against David; she just wanted it to be over. She screamed at her dad, almost in hysterics and begged him to not make her go. In the end Daniel got Tori to calm down by saying she could wait in the morning to decide what to do about David, and got her to agree to the ER by asking Andre to go with them.

David called his wife en route to the hospital. She had still been at the ER with Trina and they all met up there. Trina was fine aside from what the doctor called: _'moderate butt burn'_ And she was more concerned for her little sister when she and their mom came into the exam room.

Tori had been examined by the ER doctors with Andre with her the entire time, because she refused to be examined otherwise. The doctors didn't keep her and they all got home well after midnight. Tori had finally crashed on the couch from the adrenaline peak 30 minutes afterwards.

Tori felt warm against Andre's side; one arm thrown up around his chest. He noticed that her bruises had gotten darker since last night, and they stood out starkly against the white butterfly bandages the doctors applied to the gash on her face.

Andre lifted his arm and tried to disengage himself from Tori without waking her up. Mr. Vega grabbed a couch cushion and Andre carefully slid it under her head. She shifted slightly from the movement, but didn't wake up. He found himself tucking a piece of her long hair behind her ear.

Andre stretched his arms over his head, feeling the muscles in his back protest to how he had been lying for the last few hours. "I gotta be heading to school." He tried to rub the grit and tiredness out of his eyes.

"You look exhausted kid," Mr. Vega said. He shook open a blanket that had been hanging on the back of the sofa and draped it over his daughter. "We're keeping Tori out today so she can rest." He rubbed her shoulder with his hand, then laid a kiss on her forehead before turning back up to Andre. "I think you can give yourself an excused absence today too."

"No, it's cool," Andre insisted. "It's Friday anyway, Plus I can get Tori's assignments from class for her." He grabbed his dark rinse denim jacket from off the arm chair next to the sofa and pulled it on over his wrinkled shirt. He dug his car keys out of one of the jacket pockets. He glanced down at Tori, still asleep on the couch. "Would you mind telling Tori I'll call her later on?"

"Yeah, I can." Mr. Vega responded.

"Thanks," Andre started walking towards the front door.

"Andre-" Mr. Vega stepped from around the couch.

Andre had stopped walking and turned to face the man.

Daniel Vega came over to where Andre was standing by the stairs that led up the Foyer. "Thank you, for watching out for my daughter." his voice held only the deepest gratitude and sincerity.

Andre felt every part of those words absorb into him. He didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't do this to receive praise from anyone. He did it for Tori.

In the absence of anything else to say Andre held out his hand to Mr. Vega.

Daniel took it and shook Andre's hand. He didn't embrace him; this kid had done so much for his youngest daughter, and he wanted to give him the respect he deserved. He set a hand on Andre's shoulder. "She loves you Andre. You're one of the best friends she's ever had."

"I love her too sir," Andre said. He didn't use _love _in any romantic or platonic context but in the deepest rooted feeling that he would always reserve for Tori.

Daniel Vega gave a squeeze to Andre's shoulder before both released each other, and Andre walked out of the house, the door closed quietly behind him.

**xxxxXxxx**

"Hey!" Jade came walking up towards Beck who was leaning on the railing of the wide hallway stairs that separated the senior classes from the rest of the school. A few 10th grade girls moved past her on their way to their jazz dance class. They broke into a fast scurry when she came closer to them, not wanting to be a part of any of her wrath.

Beck turned at the sound of his girlfriend's voice and smiled."Hey babe-" he leaned over to kiss the side of her face, but had to pull back when she held up her take out Styrofoam cup under his nose.

"Smell my coffee."

Beck looked at her in confusion, "Is there something wrong with it?"

"Just smell it!" Jade snapped.

"Okay," Beck took the cup from her and sniffed at the slit in the lid.

"Smell anything?" Jade asked, adjusting the strap on her black messenger bag.

"I smell _coffee_," Beck returned.

"You don't smell blood?" Jade asked.

Beck shot her a look. _"Why_ would I smell blood?"

"Because," Jade snatched the cup back from him. "I cut my mouth on this stupid lid, and didn't notice until I saw red in my coffee."

"Ouch," Beck winced and made a face. But then his look switched to concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Jade said, swirling her cup, and peering into the tiny hole "I mean, I don't mind drinking my own blood, I just don't want to smell it." She took a big swig of her coffee.

Beck cleared his throat. "That's my girl," he completed the kiss he tried to give her before.

"Hey guys," Robbie came over to them with Cat attached to his hand. "Ooh, coffee!" He pointed at Jade's cup with his free hand. "The coffee vendor was all out when I got there."

"Here," Jade held out his cup. "You want the rest of mine?"

"No-" Beck said, "Rob, you don't wanna-"

"Oh great, thanks!" Robbie cut him off and snatched the cup from Jade. He pulled off the lid and started to gulp the coffee down like water.

"See," Cat elbowed Robbie in the stomach." I told you Jade was a good friend."

"Mmm," Robbie tilted his head, doing an assessment on the taste. "Is there vanilla caramel mint shot in this?" He started drinking again.

"Jade bled in it," Beck stated bluntly.

Robbie spewed the coffee from his mouth,. "Gahh!" He started wiping at his tongue until there was no saliva on it. "What is wrong with you?!" he demanded of Jade.

"You're welcome," Jade said simply with a grin. She took her coffee back from Robbie.

"You know how many diseases are in human blood?" Robbie said around a gag.

"I know _exactly_ how many diseases there are in human blood," Jade said with a look of quiet pride. "What's your point?"

Robbie opened his mouth to say something back to Jade, but then Cat cut him off by pointing at something behind Jade. "Hey, there's Andre."

The group of friends turned to see Andre at his locker. His yellow backpack was by his feet and he was putting books from the bag inside his locker.

"Yeah, I saw him talking to Sikowitz this morning after class to get Tori's make up assignment." Robbie said, spitting once to get the taste of Jade's tainted out of his mouth.

"Man," Jade said, noting Andre's wrinkled shirt and jeans." "He looks rough." She turned to Beck. "Did he say anything else about what happened last night?" Beck had come back to the car from Tori's house with the bag of takeout food with such a shocked look on his face, that Jade didn't even throw out a sarcastic comment about Tori. She instead immediately asked if he was okay. He didn't say anything to her until they were halfway back to his trailer, which completely freaked her out. By that time Andre had texted Beck from the ER lobby and told him what had happened. But Beck telling Jade what happened didn't exactly calm her down. They spent their movie night eating cold wantons, waiting for updates from Andre.

At 11:00 Andre called Beck and asked if he could check up on his grandmother. She tended to think giant lima beans stalked the house at night and would walk around with the fireplace poker looking for them. Beck did a quick check, and after reassuring Andre that his grandmother was fine, while simultaneously dodging a fire poker to the head, he went back home.

"He texted me at five this morning, saying he _just_ left Tori's house and would talk to me at school," Beck said.

"That means here was there all night, Tori must've been hurt bad if he couldn't leave." Cat said. She looked around at her friends with a deep concern in her eyes.

"The whole things just jacked," Jade said angrily. "I mean who the hell does this David guy think he is to be able to do that to her?" Jade had pulled her fair share of pranks, and had said her fair share of mean things to Tori Vega over the years. But, they had also become friends during that time, and now her relationship with Tori was a family hate thing. Meaning she was allowed to bag on her, but no one _else_ was.

Jade slapped her boyfriend's wrist . "Come on," she nodded her head in the direction of Andre still by his locker.

Beck took her hand and they walked over to Andre, Cat and Robbie followed.

"Hey man," Beck said, and it made Andre turn.

"Hey guys," Andre's voice sounded as great as he looked.

"How's Tori?" Robbie asked the question that they all wanted to know.

Andre shoved another book into his locker and it toppled over a notebook that was already on the metal shelf. He turned back to face the group."Her parents wanted to keep her home today. Doctors at the ER said nothing broken or anything, just a whole lot of bruises. Like that makes it all better." He slammed the door to his locker, and the noise reverberated.

"How are you?" Cat asked.

Andre looked at Cat in almost disbelief, like he didn't know how to even start to answer her question. "I'm here Little Red."

"You know you can get mad," Jade told Andre. "David's a prick. Trust me, I dated a lot of pricks before Beck; it's totally okay to be angry." Jade had gone through a string of dickhead boyfriends who tried to mold her into being something she wasn't. After her dad basically shut down after his angry divorce from her mom she didn't have a real male role model to look up too, so she tried to find one on he own. It had never gone past verbal abuse. But abuse was still abuse, and she became a hard ass because of it, only finally being able to soften when Beck Oliver asked her out to an Indie Film the first weekend during her freshman year at Hollywood Arts. She never told anyone, not even Beck, but meeting him had saved her.

"That's something you don't have tell me," Andre said a quiet, deadly honest voice. "I swear if I see that d-bag's face-"

"Hey everyone."

They all turned in surprise at the sound of Tori's voice. She walked down the hallway towards them and waved with one hand. She had changed into a pink tunic sweater with jeans and brown boots and had sunglasses back on her face, but there was still a peaking of white bandage and blue bruise under the rim of the glasses.

"Tori-"

"Hey Tori-"

They all talked over top of each other.

"Hey," Beck came over and wrapped his arms around her. And this time Jade didn't try to stop him or make a sarcastic comment about it. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Tori said, pulling back after Beck gave her a tight squeeze. "Fine."

"You know you don't have to lie Tori," Robbie said, his voice both sincere and sad.

"I'm not," Tori said in reassurance. "I'm okay –sore, but okay."

Andre looked at her critically "You sure about that?"

"I'm sure okay?" she told him, there was no anger in her words, only sincerity. "Stop worrying. I just came up here to get my assignments."

"I was gonna drop them off at your house after class," Andre told her "You really shouldn't be up yet anyway."

"Would you relax," Tori said. "I wanted to come tell Mr. Weaver in person that I won't be performing in the Sing Off, since David-" her words dropped off.

"Hey, why don't you let Andre sing the song with you?" Jade suggested. "I mean he did write it, and that way you won't get an Incomplete in the class." Jade could be bitchy with the best of them, but when she cared, she really cared.

Tori's eyebrows in surprise at the idea, the last 24 hours had been such a whirlwind she hadn't had time to focus on anything else. She turned to Andre hopefully. "Would you?"

Her soft brown eyes were, big, and sweet, even under her glasses and bruises he could still see them Something Andre loved most about her. "You know I will."

Tori's face pulled back into the first real smile she had in a day. "That's so great, thank you." She stepped over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He returned her hug just as warmly. "Hey no problem baby."

From behind Tori Beck and Jade looked at Tori and Andre, then gave each other a look.

"Listen," Andre said after Tori pulled away from their hug. "How about you coming out with us tonight, for a little karaoke at Oppan Galbi Style."

Tori looked at him hesitantly. She wasn't excited about returning to the place where David had basically punched her in the face for talking to him. "I don't know-"

"Come on," Andre took both of her hands in his. "It won't be like last time. I won't drag you off any jerky guys, or yell at you by the girls' bathroom. It'll just be a good time. I promise?"

She sighed, but in the end relented. "Okay, pick me up at 7?"

Andre smiled at her. "That's my girl."

His words made another smile creep up on her face. "My mom's picking me up in an hour, so I better go get my assignments." She looked around the group. "See you all there?"

"Count on it," Robbie said, glad that Tori was smiling again.

Tori turned back to Andre with a smile. "See you tonight okay?" She leant over and kissed the side of his face. It wasn't lustful, but it wasn't casual either.

Andre rested a hand in her hair while she kissed him. It lasted for a brief two seconds before she walked away towards her Theatre class.

"Want a Wahoo Punch my pretty little Darling?" Robbie asked, turning towards Cat.

Cat smiled and giggled "Okay." She was still laughing when she took the arm that he offered and walked off in the direction of the soda machines. "Wahoo is a funny word."

Beck and Jade still stood there, each giving Andre the same look.

Andre gave them a look of his own. "What?"

"So are you and Vega going out now?" Jade asked, her trademark smile on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Andre told her. "Tori's just been through a lot-"

"Yeah, and 15 minutes ago, you were ready to pummel David Beacher into the ground for her. Then you two were all with the _hey baby_ voices and kissy faces."

Andre gave her another look "We did _not_ do kissy faces-"

"Actually you kinda did." Beck said, agreeing with Jade.

Andre stared at him with a _'c'mon'_ look.

"Look man, " Beck said. "I know Tori's been through a crap load, and you don't want to do anything when she's vulnerable. Plus there's that whole hooking up with your best friend and having it go south deal. But that's not what this is. So give it a shot."

Andre slung his backpack over his shoulder. "You two are crazy." He walked off towards his next class.

"Totally clueless," Beck said to Jade.

"If they don't figure it out, I'll figure it out for them," Jade returned. "I'm tired of all this meaningless 'we're not like that' dialogue. It makes me itch."

Beck had to smile at his girlfriend's straightforwardness. Yeah Jade was a crazy, off-the-wall, scissor wielding girl. But she was _his _crazy off the wall scissor wielding girl.

"Walk with me to get some more coffee?" she said.

"Only if you don't bleed in it."

Beck's remark got Jade to smile, and he slung his arm up over her shoulder and walked towards the doors that led outside.

**xxxxxXxxxx**

* * *

"Thanks Ms. Lander," Tori said to her Improv. teacher as the redheaded woman walked her out of her classroom. She looked over her makeup assignment, which was a list of 20 descriptors for jungle animals. The assignment was to learn how to act out each animal's characteristics, so her classmates could shout out random situations they were in. Robbie had to be a Giraffe being upset about his cold coffee at a Polaris Coffee drive through. Needless to say, it was an interesting ten minutes that Jade took pictures off to post on the Slap. "I promise I'll have this ready to go by Monday."

"I'm sure you will Tori," Ms. Lander said with a hand on her shoulder. "Just remember to do something fun this weekend alright?" She smiled at Tori warmly, at a little 'motherly' as well. Ms. Lander was one of the youngest teachers at Hollywood Arts, only 29, and she was very open and easy to talk too. She didn't pry into why Tori was wearing glasses in the middle of the day, and inside. But she could sense that something had happened, and just let her know that she was there for her.

"I will, I promise," Tori said with a smile. Tori waved as Ms. Lander shut the door. She read more of the paper that she was holding. _Ostrich-What kind of noise does an ostrich make?'_

She bumped into someone while she was reading. She looked up "I'm sorry-" her words died out.

"Tori," David stood there. "Hey, I've been looking for you-"

Tori turned around and started walking in the other direction.

David ran after her. "I just wanna talk-"

"I don't have anything to say to you," Tori said, not turning around, her boots clicked loudly on the floor.

"Hey, wait!" David ran in front of her when she was near the Junior locker section.

Tori turned again and started walking away again.

David ran after her again. "Hey stop! Look I just want to say I'm sorry about last night."

"Oh you're _sorry,"_ Tori said, voice hostile. After being beaten, and humiliated by this guy all day yesterday, she could feel all that anger towards the whole fucked up situation start to come to a head. "What are you sorry about? Huh, is it _this-"_ She pulled off her glasses, letting him see the dark blue black bruises and line of butterfly bandages on her face. "Because saying you're sorry won't get these bruises off my face!"

"I was just upset Tori!" David said "I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"Yeah well too little too late pal! Because you already did!" she sighed angrily and grabbed at her hair. "You know I thought you were a really nice guy-but everyone else saw you for the tool that you are. Well now _I _ see it too." She shook her head dejectedly. "I actually thought you cared about me-"

They were both so absorbed in their argument that neither one of them noticed that a crowd had started to gather around the edges of the school by the lockers, watching them argue.

"I _do_ care about you Tori!" David insisted. "I told you I was just upset-I promise I won't do it again, okay? " He lowered his 5'9" frame down to her. He raised her chin up to him.

Tori jerked back from his hand, raising her arms up, defensively. "Don't touch me!-"

"Don't be like that, Tori-" David grabbed her wrist and started to pull her towards him.

Tori tried to jerk away, but found herself being held firm. She wasn't a weak girl, but David had a good 30 pounds of muscle on her. She did manage to knee him in the gut, making him double over. She had been aiming lower, but her left eye was still swollen, and it made it hard to see things definitively.

David grabbed her wrist again, and pushed her back against the locker, arms spayed out on either side of her head. "C'mon baby," He banged one of his hands hard on the locker "I said I was _sorry! _Lookyou're still my girl-_"_he leant his lips against her neck.

"Get off me!" she screamed and clawed at his face "_Get off!"_

There was a heavy sound of feet running and sliding on tile then David's weight was suddenly released from her, and another loud skidding noise from his shoes sliding across the floor.

Tori was flung slightly sideways from the sudden movement. She pulled herself back up along the lockers with her hands in time to have her view of David blocked by Andre standing in front of her.

David stared Andre down, his look volatile. "Back off Andrew, "This isn't about you!"

But Andre's look was volatile too. He seemed to move in slow motion right up until the moment he drew his arm back and slammed a fist hard into David's face which spurted blood from his nose, and threw him onto the floor on his back with a heavy thudding noise. The kids who had been watching Tori and David earlier now started to gather around closer. None of them offered any form of assistance. They were just there to watch, their chattering voices echoed like the drone of insects.

Andre was back on David in a second, kneeling next to him on the floor. "It's Andre!" He grabbed the front of David's shirt and raised him up, then slammed into lockers David had just pinned Tori at. "If you _e-v-e-r _ _touch_ Tori again and I'll make you _never _forget my name," He banged David's back into the locker "you got that?-" Andre banged David's head into the lockers next. "you _got that?-"_

"Hey, hey hey!" Beck pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed Andre by the shoulders "That's enough man-!" Beck pulled him back from David. A few seconds later, one of David's teammates from the baseball team grabbed David's arms and pulled him back as well.

"Keep him off!" Beck said, with a hand on Andre's chest. Beck turned to David who struggled to break free from his friends grip.

Lane, their guidance councilor was behind Beck pushed his way in between Andre and David. "What 's going on here!?" Lane demanded, turning to Andre and David in a quick turn.

"David was trying to attack Tori!" Jade shoved her way through the crowd and emerged from behind her boyfriend. She moved to stand beside Tori who still stood by the lockers. "Andre was defending her."

David glared daggers at Jade "West is lying Lane. I didn't _touch_ Tori!"

"Oh I'm a liar?" Jade spat taking a step closer to David. "Okay then, let's just keep the lies going then shall we? Lie Number One, you're not a dick."

There was an audible _'ooh!'_ from the watching crowd of students.

"Jade that's enough!" Lane insisted. "Now I want some answers, from _both_ of you!" Lane looked to Andre and David.

"I didn't do anything to Tori, Lane," David said in a cocky voice, looking Tori dead in the eye. "She's not worth doing anything _to."_

Andre pulled against Beck trying to jump on David again, he almost succeeded until Tori grabbed Andre's other arm and helped Beck pin him down.

"_I said that's enough!"_ Lane stepped in front of Andre. "I am not going to take _fighting_ in this school? Understand?" Lane looked at the bruises that marred Tori's face, then he turned to David. "But _neither_ am I going to take anyone abusing one of my students, are we clear on _that_?"

David turned his head away with a snort.

Lane stepped right up to him, and looked him dead in the eye. There was no trace of the smiling guidance councilor who was in love with lotion. Instead this look was something else. "Mr. Beacher, I said, _are we clear on that?"_

"Yeah," David said finally. "Crystal clear Sir."

"Good," Lane said. "Now I want you in my office,_ now_!" Lane said, pointing towards the hallway which lead to his office. David scowled at him, but under Lane's glare he started walking in that direction.

The group of students that had clustered around to watch all the commotion parted for David as he walked towards them.

After David had safely walked by Andre, Beck and Tori released his arms. As soon as he was freed Andre turned to Tori. He reached out his arms not knowing what to touch her first. "You alright?"

Tori nodded, though the was a little shaky.

Andre took her shoulders, then raised his hands to her face, framing her chin with his thumbs. "You sure?"

"Yeah." Tori blew out a shaky breath, and pulled at her hair for a moment. But then, like yesterday, Tori moved into Andre's arms, and like yesterday, he opened them for her, pulling her into a side hug, rubbing one arm with his free hand.

Lane approached Tori and Andre; eyeing Tori critically. "Tori, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tori reassured the man.

Lane didn't look convinced. "Did David hurt you, or do anything to you?"

Tori folded her lips shut and shook her head. "Not today," her words were sad.

Lane gave these words a pause, he set a hand on her shoulder. "You're mom's here. She waiting in the Principal Ikner's office to take you home okay?" He shifted his gaze "Andre-" Lane's look was apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to come to my office too," There was a murmur of inaudible protest from Beck and Jade.

" Jade," Lane said. "Would you mind walking Tori up to the office to meet her mom."

"What?" Tori broke out of Andre's embrace and stepped the guidance councilor, then to Andre. "Lane-no, you _can't_, Andre didn't do anything wrong!" Andre was not the kind of guy to be sent to the office, for _anything. _

"I know that Tori," Lane said. "But I still need to talk to him," he said a hand on her shoulder. "You're mom's waiting okay?"

"He was _defending me_!" Tori shouted." Look at my face!-"

"Jade," Lane said again. "Please, Tori's mom's waiting."

Jade walked over and took the bend of Tori's arm. "Come on, let's go. It's okay- come on." She started to pull Tori along.

"Wait Lane! _Lane!"_ Tori tried to pull away from Jade, but Jade had a good grip. "You can't_ do_ this!"

"I'll still see you tonight Tori, aiight?" Andre said, trying to sound reassuring, but it didn't work.

Tori protested the entire time Jade pushed her along to the Principal's Office, her words echoing off the lockers.

"Alright," Lane turned his attention toward the idling group of students. "Back to class guys," there were several audible groans from the crowd. "I mean it," Lane added. "Show's over, let's go!"

The students started to disperse, moving around Andre and Beck who still stood there with Lane.

"You're not seriously going to get Ikner to expel Andre or anything?" Beck said to Lane. "He didn't do anything except try and defend Tori. There are enough kids here who saw that._"_

"I can't talk about another student's information Beck," Lane said. He sighed "But, off the record, I promise you, Andre isn't getting expelled okay? I just need to hear both sides of the story." Lane turned to Andre. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Andre said, walking ahead of Lane towards his office. It was just Lane's office, but it felt like a prison sentence.

* * *

**xxxXxxx**

Quick note:

Andre beating up David, yes it's violent. And Andre is normally not that hot headed on the show. But again, the show is rated G, so they can't show any thing like that.

But also ask yourself this- If someone had beaten up his best friend, traumatized her, and then attacked her again at school - why would he sit there and do nothing?


	4. Chapter 4

**xxxxXxxxx**

"_I want to wake up first. I wouldn't care if were just an hour. _

_As long as I were __**properly alive **__and awake."_

"Lyra Silvertonuge"

The Amber Spyglass

**xxxxXxxxx**

* * *

Tori paced her living room and glanced down at her watch for the twelfth time in five minutes. She walked to the front door and peaked out the side window. But, she realized that she wouldn't be able to see anything because the window was made out of frosted glass like a shower door. She then thought about how stupid it was to have a window by the door that you couldn't even _see_ through while she opened the door –

And screamed when she caught sight of her dad standing _right_ _there_ on the other side of it.

"Ahh!"

"_Ahh!"_ Daniel said, waving his arms around at her. "It's your father!"

"_Dad,"_ Tori complained. "That's not funny!" She closed the door after her father walked back inside. "Did you see anything?"

"No I didn't," Daniel answered.

Tori gave him an '_uh' _"noise. Then why did you come inside?"

"Because I'm not going to stalk our driveway for Andre's car," her dad said. "The neighbors already have enough to talk about when Trina sunbathes wrapped in tinfoil on the deck."

"Oh, that reminds me," Holly Vega said from the sofa, where she was reclined reading a Jodi Pinchot book. "We need more tinfoil."

Tori stared at her mom: "You're not helping!"

"Honey relax," Mrs. Vega closed her book and set it on the coffee table. She turned the face of her black banded watch towards her wrist. "It's only 5 minutes till seven. Andre will be here."

"Unless he got suspended and thrown in jail," Tori stated and sat on the arm of the sofa. She grabbed an orange couch cushion and hugged it to her chest.

Daniel came over to where she was sitting. "Tori, you normally don't go straight from suspension to jail. There's usually a downward spiral process somewhere in between."

"I just don't want him to get in trouble because of me," Tori said and drew her knees up sideways on the couch arm and sat as tight as a curled cat.

"Baby," Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder. "Andre's not going to get in trouble, because he didn't do anything wrong. He was protecting you—And if anyone has a problem with that, I'm going to have them arrested." He drew her into a one armed hug.

The doorbell rang.

"Andre!" Tori shot out of her dad's hug and rand to the door and tore it open.

Andre smiled at her when the door opened. "Hey Tori, you ready-" his word were cut off when Tori tackled with a bone crushing hug.

Andre was a little startled at first, but then he returned her hug and rubbed her back.

"Honey," Daniel said, watching Tori and Andre, his voice a little said, a little in disbelief: "My hugs have been replaced."

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" Tori released Andre and dragged him inside the house and slammed the door. "You didn't go to jail did you!?"

"Principal Ikner only gave me a week of detention," Andre answered. "He said it was normally more, but because Beck and Jade backed me up about what happened, he cut me some slack. So no jail," he smiled lightly at her to give her some reassurance that he would be fine. "Jail wasn't even brought up" Andre paused his looked changed, "At least not with me."

Tori pulled back and looked at him. "David-?"

"Lane told me the cops came to his house about an hour ago," Andre said.

After she left Hollywood Arts with her mom, Tori had met up with her dad at the 34th Precinct where he worked and had filed a former complaint against David for aggravated battery.

"I'm sorry Tori," Andre knew that Tori didn't have any love loss for David but she wasn't the type of person that liked getting anyone in trouble. "Hey," he laid his hand on her arm. "You didn't do anything wrong okay? You did what you had too. It's over, it's done—" he took both her hands in his "Don't let him hurt you anymore."

Andre tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear like head done previous night. Only this time she was awake to feel it. He held her at arms' length and took in her red dress, cropped steel gray jacket and black ankle boots. She was wearing concealer around her eye and left cheekbone. Still some of the bruising and butterfly bandages were visible through the makeup because the doctor warned against using a lot due to the risk of infection.

Andre smiled at her: "You look amazing," He watched her smile back, slow at first, but then it started to creep into a full fledged _Tori Vega_ smile. He offered her his arm. "You ready to go?"

"Here baby," Mrs. Vega stood up from the couch and walked over to Tori with a pair of gray plastic framed sunglasses. "You forgot these" She opened the arms of the sunglasses and started to slide them on her daughter's face, but then her husband pulled them away from her.

"No she didn't," Daniel closed the glasses and hung them in the neck of his blue shirt. "She doesn't need them," he set a hand on her shoulder. "Andre's right Tori – you look amazing."

Tori felt her throat close up, and in the same moment forgot how to form coherent words. So instead she reached up and drew her arms around her father. "Thanks daddy."

Daniel returned the hug tightly. He pulled her back and kissed the top of her head. "Just have some fun tonight okay?"

Tori slid her arm through Andre's and smiled at her dad. "We will-" she turned to Andre with the smile still firmly in place. "Come on." she pulled him to the front door.

"Not too much fun!" Daniel called back as Andre opened the door.

Tori turned around and looked at him "Dad!"

"Kidding!" Daniel called back. He watched them walk through the door, and close it behind them.

Once they were safely gone, Daniel turned to his wife: "I'm not kidding."

Holly shook her head at him in sympathy, and patted the side of his face: "I know baby."

**xxxxxXxxxxx**

The bar was incredibly crowded as Robbie tried to juggle a container of soy sauce (low sodium), and two cups of iced green tea. He managed to bump into no less than two girls on the way back to the table. They gave him offended looks, but Robbie was more concerned not to drop the items he was holding then notice their snarky looks.

"Here Cat," Robbie set one of the brightly colored green cups in front of Cat, and removed the soy sauce container from under his chin. "A green tea, from your sweet _pea,"_ he gave Cat a wide smile and reclaimed his seat next to her.

"Oh I love green things!" Cat exclaimed with a giggle. "Thanks Robbie," She patted the top of his thick curls and smiled at him in a way that seemed to make Robbie melt like ice cream on a summer day.

Jade made a face. "You know you two are being so cute it's starting to sicken me." She took a drink from her glass.

"Aww, " Cat gave Jade's wrist a pat. "_Thank_ you," she giggled again.

Jade started to roll her eyes, but in the end she smiled and just shook her head at Cat in the affection a sister would give. She turned when she felt Beck's eyes on her. "What?"

Beck looked at her in amusement, roughing a hand on her shoulder. "I think you're going soft."

"Oh what do you know!" Jade retorted. But she didn't pull away when Beck drew her against his side.

Mrs. Lee emerged from a thicket of girls on their way to the _Make Your Own Sushi Bar. _ And she wasn't alone. She was leading Tori and Andre in front of her.

"Hello crowd from Hollywood Arts!" Mrs. Lee's smile about split open her face, and she added a wave that could be seen from space.

Everyone at the table said some variation of '_hi'_ to Mrs. Lee.

"Look who I brought to the table, Tori Vega and Andre Harris!" She waved at them like she was showing off prized wares at the bazaar. "Ahh, they came because my new sushi rolls are the best the entire world. Isn't' that right?" She gripped Tori and Andre's shoulders that very much resembled a _Sleeper Hold._

"Oh yeah," Tori said, a little too fearful to disagree with the over eccentric Mrs. Lee.

"Best Sushi on the planet," Andre added.

Mrs. Lee smiled her maniacal smile, and tightened her hold. Tori visibly flinched. Mrs. Lee didn't notice. "You crazy kids," she waved their forced answers off. "You have fun at my restaurant tonight, _understand?"_ She giggled and scurried away and the full skirt of her dress puffed out behind her like rising bread dough.

"_Ow,"_ Tori said once Mrs. Lee was out of range.

"That woman's got issues." Andre said, rotating his left arm, hearing a _click, click_ from Mrs. Lee's death grip.

"Sorry we're late guys," Tori apologized maneuvering her arm like Andre's. "Mrs. Lee cornered us at the entrance to ask us to try samples of her new stewed pumpkin giant squid sushi. It tasted like melted tires_,"_ She winced and rubbed at her arm. "I think she separated my shoulder."

"Hang on," Andre said. "I got this." He moved up behind her to rub her shoulder.

Tori let her head drop in appreciation. "Thanks," she raised it up a second later, and looked over her shoulder at him. "Oh hey, could get me a Thai Tea?"

"Sure, no prob," Andre responded.

"They serve Thai Tea here?" Robbie asked confused. "I thought this was a _Korean_ restaurant."

"You don't wanna think about it," Andre said back. "You'll just get a cranial bleed," he released Tori's shoulder. "I'll be right back."

"Yeah I'll come with you," Beck said and stood up from his chair.

"Alright cool," Andre said and the two boys walked towards the bar.

"Tori- "Jade studied Tori over the rim of her plastic glass like a mob boss. She kicked out the empty chair across the table from her with her boot. "Have a seat."

"Ok-ay," Tori said a little hesitantly, dropping into the chair and hanging her brown purse on the back of it. She and Jade were friends, but that still didn't mean that Tori stopped checking her chairs for tacks whenever Jade was around.

"So how's it going?" Jade fingered the rim of her glass with her pointer finger. The turquoise ring that she had worn yesterday in class sat on it. It was actually been a gift from Beck on their one year anniversary. Jade never told anyone that, it kind of made it loose its _bad assness'_

"It's better," Tori said taking a sip of the complementary water in the little glass by her elbow. "Thanks for asking, my eye still a little swollen but it feels a lot-"

"I'm not talking about that," Jade cut off, taking a swallowful from her glass. "I mean you and Andre?"

Tori shot Jade a look. "Me and Andre _what?_"

"Oh come on Tori don't be such a card!" Robbie said, "Everybody knows about you guys-"

"Robbie!" Jade interrupted. "Cat needs another drink."

Robbie looked over at Cat's full glass of Green Tea. "No she doesn't."

Jade picked up Cat's glass and poured its contents on the floor. "Now she does."

Robbie was the only one between him and Cat that looked upset at Jade's act. "Fine!" he stood up and slid his chair back with an audible squeaking sound and walked away.

"Stop playing dumb Vega," Jade said to Tori. "Even _Robbie_ knows about what's been going on with you and Andre lately."

"Hey!" Cat said in defense of her boyfriend. "Oh, wait, never mind, I just got it-" she giggled for a moment. "But seriously Tori Jade's right. You and Andre are good together, what you have is totally real."

Cat was a very happy go lucky girl, but whenever she had something meaningful to say it was worth listening too.

Which is why Tori practically chugged down her tiny glass of water to drown out the rising emotions inside her.

**xxxxxXxxxxx**

* * *

"So how's your hand?" Beck asked Andre as they waited for Tori's drink order.

Andre fisted his right hand and palmed it in his left with a slight wince. "It's still attached." His admittance was an honest one. It wasn't like in the movies, all cool and easy. Hitting bone was like punching a brick, it _hurt._

"But Tori's totally worth it," Beck said. He watched Andre turn away from him and clear his throat awkwardly. "Dude will you relax, it's not a crime to dig her."

Andre turned back to him. "She's my best friend Beck."

"I think that's kind of the point, man. " Beck said slapping a hand on Andre's shoulder. "No one's going to care about her the way you do."

Robbie pushed his way in-between Andre and Beck. "Hey guys, what's up?" he said smiled casually at his two friends. "Just came here to get my honey pot a little more tea."

Beck noticed Robbie's hair was roughed up and there was a large stain on the front of his plaid shirt. "What happened to you?"

Robbie looked down at his shirt. "Oh, _that._" He blew it off. "I slipped on a puddle of green tea. _Totally_ by accident. You know," Robbie laid a hand on Beck's shoulder. "Jade's a _peach_ man, you got a stellar girl there." Robbie waved over one of the women who worked behind the bar. "Hey there lady." He flashed her a smile. "Can I get another green tea in a pretty glass?"

The girl handed Robbie his tea in a blue frosted glass. "Is this pretty enough?" She had long platinum blonde hair and sea green eyes, and she was totally hitting on Robbie, batting those eyes at him.

And Robbie was totally oblivious to it.

"Oh, thank you dear," Robbie smiled politely at her and took the glass from her and that was it.

He then turned to Andre with a smile that showed all his teeth as the girl threw a white bar towel over her shoulder and stomped away. "So, you and Tori huh?" He punched Andre in the arm. "That's a good set up you got there. If I hadn't hooked up with my Caterina Valentine I so would've gotten with tha-" Robbie stopped at the look both Andre and Beck were giving him. "I'd better bring this to my dearest darling – and we're pretending this never happened right?"

"That's not a problem Rob."

"I've already forgotten."

Beck and Andre answered his remark on top of each other.

"And here's your Thai Tea," another waitress said sliding a tall glass of brown tea with a smoke white cloud floating on top of it. "Sara had to take a break so I'll be-" she broke off when she caught sight of Andre. "Hey, you're back." It was Shana from last night, and her face broke into a smile.

"Yeah well this place grows on you," Andre answered back. "This is Beck by the way," he pointed over at Beck.

Beck waved at Shana. "Hey."

"Hey," Shana said with a smile, maybe a little wider than she meant too but he was a bit of a looker. She looked over Andre's and Beck's shoulder and caught sight of Tori sitting at the table with the other girls."Judging by the lack of a lame dickhead guy, I'd say you made up with your friend."

"Yeah I did," Andre said. He glanced back over at Tori who was laughing at something Cat said.

"Good," Shana said. "Drinks are on me okay?" She leaned a little closer so she could speak to Andre in confidant. "Just don't tell Mrs. Lee."

"I'll keep you out of the viper pit," Andre responded.

Shana laughed for a moment. "Have fun tonight guys." She headed down to another section of the bar to take another customer's order.

Beck gave Andre a weird look "_Viper pit?"_

"Trust me you're better off not knowing," Andre responded. He took Tori's drink and his and walked back to their table; Beck followed.

"Here we go," Andre set the glass in front of Tori. "One Thai Tea for Tori."

"Thanks," Tori said with a smile, and rested a hand on his arm.

Andre smiled back and took the vacant seat next to her.

"_Annd,"_ Beck said, drawing out the word until everyone was paying attention. He produced a black colored iced drink in a tall green tumbler glass. "One iced Chinese black tea with passion fruit fusion that Jade was going to ask me for," he set the glass in front of Jade. "For Jade."

"You forgot my straw," Jade said.

Beck dropped back into his seat beside her. He turned and held out a black straw towards her, a smile on his face. "You're welcome," he leaned over and kissed the side of her face.

It took a few seconds, but Jade's smile chased his as she reached for the straw and dropped it into her glass.

The karaoke stage stood behind their table, complete with a mixing console, 20 inch plasma screen for lyrics and four subwoofer 4 foot speakers poised at each corner of the open stage.

A young kid, about their age, maybe a year older, jumped over the four stage steps. He landed on the stage a little harder than me meant too, tripping on his red Converse Allstars and almost sending one of the speakers crashing over. He managed to catch himself on said speaker, and pull it and himself back to an upright position. But the lapel mic that was clipped to the front of his black Ed Hardy shirt sounded through the speakers in an ear splitting reverb.

The crowd of people inside the restaurant/karaoke bar all ducked their heads down and covered their ears with their hands.

The kid tapped his lapel mic with his thumb, and it boomed like a thunder clap. Everyone covered their ears even harder.

"What's up LA!" the kid said in a high falsetto.

"The amount of things I'm going to hurt you with for deafening me!" Jade shouted out, digging a finger into her ears to try and stop the ringing.

The guy smiled at her; clearly not understanding the slam. "Maybe later sweet thang," he gave her a combination wink/gun finger point with a click of his mouth thing.

Jade responded with a _seriously?_ hand gesture.

But the kid had moved on and faced the crowd as a whole. "Welcome to Karaoke night at Oppan Galbi Style!"

The crowd cheered.

"Aiight, aiight settle down my peeps," the kid said, adjusting the black Ed Hardy baseball cap with the skull on it so that it hung more sideways on his head. "I'm DJ Drop It and I'm you're MC for this evening!" DJ Drop it was a tall skinny redhead with a face full of freckles who kind of looked like Ed Sheeren, if Ed Shereen were trying to be gangster in too much Ed Hardy. "Who's ready for a little _Kar-o-kee!"_

The crowd cheered again.

DJ Drop It fanned himself with his shirt "Hot crowd tonight. Who wants to start us off? How about foxy ladies first?" he was looking at Jade when he said this.

"How about not?" Jade threw back crossing her arms.

"Oooh, me! Pick me!" A dirty blonde in a long ponytail and pink dress jumped up from her table and waved her hand like an over excited kindergartner trying to get their teacher's attention.

"Okay! " DJ Drop It said and waved her up. "Come on up pretty young thang!"

The girl bounded up on stage like a Jack Rabbit, waving at the crowd as she went.

DJ Drop It smiled at her. "What's your name baby girl?" He handed her a black hand held microphone.

"Amber!" she said with just as much enthusiasm as she had used when she jumped up on stage.

"That's hot," DJ Drop It said in appreciation with a smile that traveled up and down Amber's figure in her little pink dress. "Alright Ms. Am-_ber,"_

"I swear if he breaks one more word down phonetically I'm going to gouge his left eye out with my fork tines," Jade side barred to Beck.

Beck rubbed her shoulder and gave her an '_easy, no maiming the DJ babe'_ smile.

On stage Amber proclaimed that she wanted to sing song number #15 on the Karaoke roster. Song Number 15 was: "Call Me Maybe" by Rae Jepsan.

DJ Drop It said she was "hot" again then backed off the stage to cue up the song.

Amber turned around and struck a pose like a figure skater.

The opening chords of the song began and Amber turned around in a flurry of hair and hands and attacked the microphone. She was a good singer, if not a little over the top. Especially when she walked over to the end of the stage in her gilt 4 inch heels and added a few very exuberant pelvic thrusts to the sung right at their table.

Andre backed up in his chair slightly and tried to give a fake smile, but his hands were up like he was trying to keep the sun off his face. Robbie was mimicking his posture. Beck didn't have too, because Jade had thrown a hand over his eyes the minute Amber started towards them.

Three minutes and 57 seconds later – and they counted – Amber drew out the last note with a massive vibrato run and pulled the microphone away from her before ending with a full V splayed raised hand ending.

DJ Drop It clapped loudly and came back from the stage right _"Whoo!_ That was _smokin'!" _

"Thanks!" Amber bounced in her high heels. She handed the mic back to Drop It and thrust a leg out backwards with a giggle before she bounded back down the stairs to the table of her girlfriends. They all twittered excitedly when she sat back down saying a lot of _: "OMG,"'s _and _"I know, right?"_ 's .

"Aiight, let's keep this Hot Train rollin!' Drop it said, talking both into the mic he was holding and having the words catch on his lapel mic, so his words echoed. "Who's next?"

"It better not be some other lame girl," Jade said.

"I thought she was catchy-" Cat said.

"So's Bubonic Plague," Jade threw out.

"Hey!" Cat's cut back in before Jade could add anymore colorful _descriptors_ about perky Amber's singing. She turned to Tori who sat across from her on the other side of the table. "Tori, you and Andre should sing your song you're going to do at the Sing Off!"

"Hey yeah!" Robbie agreed with his girlfriend. "It'll be great rehearsal for next week."

"I don't think so," Tori said.

Beck looked at her. "How come?"

"Yeah, how come?" Andre repeated and also turned towards her.

"_Cause_," Tori turned towards him. "I didn't have _any_ time to rehearse the new lyrics with you before this whole thing with David blew up in my face-" she waved at the molted black bruises and bandages on her skin. "_literally," _ She bent the black straw in her drink with a dejected look.

"So improvise," Beck told her, taking the straw from her glass before she could maim it. "David was a jerk Tori; don't let him run things for you-"

"Beck's right," Jade agreed. "You're good at doing things on the fly; plus you got good back up," she waved at Andre. Then she caught sight of everyone looking at her. "What? I can be nice."

"Yeah, but it's like watching a dog walk on his hinds legs," Robbie said.

"_Excuse me?"_ Jade said and shot Robbie a withering look like she was itching for a pair of her scissors. "Did you just call me a _dog?"_

Robbie's face went bone white when he realized his faux pas. "_What?_ No!" He laughed and pushed his and Cat's drink as far away from Jade as possible.

"They're right Tor," Andre said. "You can't let some loser ruin your life."

"Ugh, no _no!" _ Tori grabbed at her hair. "I don't want to embarrass myself anymore."

"You won't," Andre said and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I got your back on this." He smiled at her in a way that he hoped was reassuring. The way he couldn't offer her the previous night.

Tori swallowed a sigh. "Okay."

Andre's smile grew wider. "That's my girl," he rubbed her shoulder briefly. "I'll go set it up with," he sniffed like he didn't want to say the next part "DJ Drop It." He stood up and walked up the stairs to the stage.

"Hey!" Cat said as she looked at the plastic menu she had pulled out from the center of the table. "Do you think Fried Eel Wantons are vegetarian?"

Tori blinked and tried to think of an answer.

"Yo, yo _yo!"_ DJ Drop It's voice boomed into the mic. "We got ourselves another act. All the way from Hollywood Arts!"

The table of friends cheered; Jade whistled.

"This one's a slammin' duet. So let's make some noise for Numero Uno of Numero _Twono-_ Andre Harris!"

Andre had been talking to some of the waiters at the side of the stage. When he heard his name he walked up on stage as applause started in like rain. He took the mic from DJ Drop it who wanted to slap him on the back and bump fists before releasing it to him.

"Hey what's up yall? I'm _Numero_ _Twono,"_ Andre said it like it was a lingering bad taste and watched DJ Drop It give him a thumbs up from off stage. "Uh, My name's Andre Harris. I'm a Junior at Hollywood Arts High school here in LA."

Cat clapped her hands in excitement and whistled. "I go to that school!"

"DJ Drop it over there cued me up for a duet I'm singing next week with my partner- Tori-" Andre held out his hand and pointed to her. "Make some noise for her; she's fantastic!"

The crowd clapped, a few guys in the back whistled. Tori waved back, a little embarrassed.

"But I'd like to change it up a little for you all-"

A murmur of confusion rose through the crowd, especially from Tori.

There was a loud squeaking and banging sound as the two waiters Andre had been talking to earlier were now dragging up a black upright electric piano onto the stage. They grunted and said a few choice words, but managed to position the piano so that it sat sideways facing out to the front of the restaurant.

"Don't break your hands!" Mrs. Lee called, running up to the waiters as they were walking back down the stairs. "If you can't make food anymore I have to fire you!" she started saying a string of angry Chinese as they headed back to their work stations.

"Hey man," DJ Drop It came over to Andre, and leaned over to him, "I thought you and the brunette hottie were singing a duet?"

Andre moved the piano stool the over so it sat next to the keys. "Relax Mr. DJ" He patted DJ Drop it heavily on the chest. "It's cool."

DJ Drop It walked off stage muttering under his breath about '_method artists aren't the shiz'_

"There's something I need to tell you about my singing partner," Andre said into the mic. "She's also my best friend – which is why I hope she'll forgive me for the improv—Especially since this is for her."

Tori's eyes went wide in complete confusion. She watched Andre set the microphone down into the black iron stand that was fixed to the side of the piano.

Andre poised his hands over the piano, then moved them over the black and white keys. A thumping synthesized beat glided out under his hands and spread into the room like a pulse.

"_I just want you close, _

_So we can stay forever-"_

Andre sang into the microphone as Tori's face went from confusion to wide eyed.

"_You can be sure, that it will only get better. _

_You and me together, T_

_hrough the days and nights. _

_I don't worry cause everything's gonna be alright-"_

There were some whistles from the back of the crowd. Tori sat there and felt her heartbeat in her ears.

"_People keep talking, _

_They can say what they like, _

_But all I know is everything's gonna be alright._

_No one, no one, no one – _

_Can get in the way of what I'm feeling._

_No one, no one, no one, _

_Can get in the way of what I feel for you-"_

"_When the rain is pouring down-"_ Andre found Tori's eyes and made sure he didn't look away.

"_And your heart is hurting. _

_I will always be around _

_This I know, for certain"_

Tori's heart stopped drumming in her ears, and lodged itself somewhere very deeply in her throat. She stared at her best friend. Who'd never left her, even when she screwed up and tried to push him away when she needed him the most.

"_You and me together-" _ Andre had a very melodic, soul filled voice and he melded it into Alicia Key's song, making it into a gift – for her.

"_Through the days and nights _

_I don't worry cause everything's gonna be alright. _

_People keep talking, __they can say what they like. _

_But all I know is everything's gonna be alright-"_

Andre set the piano components on _Auto Play_ to continue melody and took the microphone and stood up and walked across the stage as he continued to sing.

"_No one, no one, no one, can get in the way of what I'm feeling."_

He walked down the stage steps and stopped in front of Tori, his face a wide smile.

Tori's responding smile was a mixture of dizziness and wonder all rolled into one.

"_No one, no one, no one, can get in the way of what I feel for you."_

Andre took her hand and reached it up to him.

"_Oh oh oh oh oh-"_ He released it and walked back up on stage.

"_Oh oh oh oh oh_

_Oh oh oh oh-"_

"Oh!" Beck, Jade, Cat, and Robbie echoed back, keeping rhythm with claps and waves.

"_Oh,"_ Andre sang back

"_Oh!"_ The rest of the crowd echoed along with the others this time.

"_Ohh," _Andre drew out the last note in a vibrato that ended low and left an aftertaste into the air.

When the note faded, Andre opened his mouth again, to speak this time- "I love you, Tori."

His words were proceeded by a large amount of clapping and cheering.

But all Andre saw was Tori, who stood there, with a hand over her mouth, her eyes glistening.

Tori finally lowered her hands after several long seconds and walked up the stage steps.

And, Andre met her halfway in a hug that she felt down to her toes.

They both pulled back, Andre's arm was still around her back, and Tori leaned forward and kissed him. A real kiss, full and sweet and deep.

The cheering grew louder, especially from their friends. Beck clapped loudly and whistled when Andre drew Tori closer and returned her kiss. Beck grabbed Jade's head and kissed her hard, then turned back to the stage and screamed out _'Whoo!'_ hands cupped to his mouth.

Jade clapped along and screamed with him, so did Cat and Robbie.

After countless, breathless seconds, Tori pulled back. Her face was damp with tear tracks, but she laughed. She rested her forehead against his, and closed her eyes when she felt him kiss her there.

They stayed like that for a very long time.

* * *

**xxxxXxxx**

**End.**

A last note:

Domestic violence is a real problem in both teen and adult relationships. No matter how it started, no one deserves the outcome. If you or anyone you know is in this kind of situation, seek help. Break the cycle.

Everyone is deserving of love.

Peace,

Mystic


End file.
